(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a jig device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a jig device for use in fabrication of a casting block.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a casting block such as a cylinder block is fabricated through a die casting process in which a molten metal is injected into a steel mold that is mechanically accurately cut to have a required shape therein.
The casting block that is fabricated through the die casting process has accurate dimensions such that a finishing process is almost not necessary and the mechanical properties thereof are good. Typically, an alloy of zinc, aluminum, tin, copper, and so on is used as a metal material, air pressure, water pressure, or hydraulic pressure is used to inject the metal, and then the metal is cooled to a steel product.
However, as shown FIG. 1, a jig device is used to fix a casting block so as to cut one portion of the casting block, which is manufactured through the die casting process, based on a base surface.
In the conventional jig device for fabrication, a mounting portion 103 on which the casting block (not shown) is mounted is formed in the front of the main frame 101, and a plurality of pads (P) that are operated by hydraulic cylinders are disposed on the mounting portion 103 and the front surface portion 105.
Also, a main clamping unit 109 is formed on the center of the upper frame 107 that is configured on the upper portion of the main frame 101 to fix the upper portion of the casting block.
The operation of the jig device for fabrication is as follows. First, a transfer device (not shown) is used to transfer and mount the casting block on the mounting portion 103, second, the base boss of the casting block contacts the pad (P) to confirm the mounting condition thereof, and third, the casting block is fixed through the main clamping unit 109 such that a machining center (not shown) can securely cut a specific part thereof.
However, in the jig device for fabrication, the upper frame 107 and the main clamping unit 109 are disposed in the upper center thereof such that the transfer device such as a gantry loader cannot mount the casting block from above owing to the spatial interference, it is hard to achieve a reasonable process, and an additional separate transfer device has to be used, in which case the fabrication cost is increased the flexibility of the manufacturing is lowered.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.